There are numerous occasions during the use of a vehicle such as a motor car that it is necessary to lock the vehicle once the occupants have left the vehicle. This requires the driver to retain the vehicle key to allow re-entry to the vehicle. However, there are many occasions when it is inconvenient or impractical to keep a key within one's possession. For example, it is not normally practical for a driver to keep the key in their possession when they go swimming at the beach, especially if the immobiliser or key has an inbuilt battery. Therefore, it is common for the car keys to be left unattended on the sand whilst the driver is swimming. This presents a potential security problem as it is relatively easy for the key to be taken and therefore for the vehicle to be stolen. Other instances where it is impractical to keep a key in ones possession include outdoor activities such as bushwalking, horse riding, rock climbing and other sport participation.
To overcome this problem it has become common for drivers to “hide” the vehicle key somewhere on the vehicle, such as in a wheel arch. However, this too has become commonplace and therefore it is not uncommon for a third party to watch the driver hide the key and to then remove the key and take the vehicle illegally once the driver has left the area. There are also occasions where a spare car key is hidden on a vehicle in case of inadvertent lock-out. This too presents a security risk.
Of course, some vehicles are currently manufactured with a keyless entry system for the driver's side door but there is a need for a system for storing car keys and other valuables for use on existing vehicles that do not have keyless entry facilities.